White to move. How should White proceed?
5nk1/4R2p/4p2P/5p2/1p3K2/p7/8/n7 w – – 0 1
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1.Rg7+! Kh8 2.Kg5 b3 3.Kf6 Ng6 4.Rb7 Kg8 5.Rb8+ Nf8 6.Ke7! 1-0
White wins:
1. Rg7+ Kh8
2. Ke5
The threat is to walk the king to f7 and play Rg8#. Moves by the Nf8 leave the back rank too vulnerable. The Na1 and the a- and b-pawns are too slow.
1. Rg7+, Kh8
2. Rg1, Nc2
3. Rc1, Nd4
4. Rc4, Ne2+
5. Kf3
(1-0)
White is toast.
Kg5 the f6 followed by R mate….
That was a pretty simple one.
MM
I think white can try to go for a threefold repetition draw?
1. Rg7+ Kh8
2. Rf7 Kg6+ (anything else just makes the draw faster I think…)
3. Kg5
And from here the idea is to keep checking the black king in f7 every time it tries to escape from the corner and after that to move the rook to a far left column threatening mate should it stay in the corner.
white always wins… kg5
han
It would seem to me that white must either mate, find a way to queen that h-pawn ahead of black, or draw by repetition. I don’t see a way to draw by repetition off the top of my head, so let’s look at mate or queen at h8. The king must come forward eventually, so lets try it first, but not Ke5 (knight fork wins):
1. Kg5 Ng6 (the king needs f8)
2. Rg7 Kf8 (Kh8?? 3.Kf6 mate in 4)
3. Rh7 Nc2 (something better?)
4. Ra7 Nh8 (forced)
5. Kf6 Ke8 (Kg8?? 6.h7 wins)
6. h7 Kd8 (forced, actually)
7. Ra8 Kc7
8. Rh8 a2
9. Ra8 Na3
10.Ke6 a1(Q)
11.h8(Q)Qh8 should be a draw.
I spent a lot of time on this, and there are lines where black loses, especially at move 6, but I see a draw with exact play.
Will try another tact in my next comment.
The problem I found with 1.Kg5 was that black’s king escapes the corner and gets counterplay that white must be careful to address. An idea is to force black to h8 first then bring the king forward:
1. Rg7 Kh8
2. Kg5 Nb3 (a3 same, I think)
3. Kf6 Ng6 (a2 4.Kf7 5.Rg8#)
4. Ra7 Kg8 (Nf8 same)
5. Ra8 Nf8
6. Ke7 wins.
Can’t believe I didn’t see this earlier. The knights cause me problems when trying to decide how to proceed. I see moves and attacks that aren’t real, and miss ones that are. I am constantly having to stop and reassess what squares the knights attack and which they don’t.
If black had no moves I see
Kg5 Kf6 Rg7+ Kf7 Rg8#
Can black prevent this? Not if he just queens
Kg5 b6 Kf6 b7 Rg7+ Kh8 Kf7 b8(q) Rg8#
Kg5 can’t be prevented. Nd7 wouldn’t accomplish anything.
What about Ng6? Kg5 Ng6 Rg7+ Kh8 Kf6 now Ne5 seeking to prevent Kf7 just uses a tempo and Nd7 to guard g8 does nothing.
So it looks like black is toast
White wins! The idea is to mate with the White king on f7 and
the White rook on g8. Black can prevent this, but still gets
mated. The Black connected passed pawns on the a- and b- files
and the knight on a1 may as well not be on the board. They have
no effect on this position.
After
1. Rg7+ Kh8
White can win with eiter 2. Ke5 or Kg5
There are a lot of variations, but I will give only one.
2. Ke5 Ng6+
3. Kf6 a2
With the Black knight on g6, White cannot mate with her king
on f7 or f8 and her rook on g8 because of:
4. Kf7 Ne5+
5. Kf8 Nd7+
but she can play:
4. Ra7 Nf8
5. Ra8 Kg8
6. Ke7 wins.
Lucymarie
There is probably a mate in the position… if white plays 1. Rg7+ – Kh8, he can walk with his king to f7/f8 and mate the king on g8. I think.
For example, 1. Rg7+ – Kh8, Ke5 – Ng6+ (or Nd7, Rxd7 – Kg8, Kf6 1-0), Kf6 – b3 (what else?), Kf7 – Ne5+, Kf8 – Nd7+, Rxd7 – b2, Rg7 – b1Q, Rg8#
Hello, I think white wis this game
1. Rg7+ , Kh8
2. Ke5 ( white king goes to f7 )
2. …. , Nb3
3. Kf6
Now, if black pawn or Knight in b3 moves, white moves Kf7 and Rg8# isn’t possible to be stopped.
and the other option is
3. …. , Ng6
4. Ra7 ( or Rb7 or Rc7 or Rd7
)
4. …. , Kg8
5. Ra8+ , Nf8
6. Ke7 and
7. Rxf8#
Greetings from Spain
it seems the most optimistic approach will be succesful:
1. Rg7+ Kh8
2. Kg5 b3
3. Kf6 b2
4. Kf7 b1Q
5. Rg8# or
2. … Ng6
3. Kf6 Ne5
4. Kxe5 Nb3
5. Kf6 Nc5
6. Kf7 Nd7
7. Rg8# or
2. … Nd7
3. Rxd7 Kg8
4. Kf6 Kf8
5. Rd8#
Black’s pawns are, er, let’s say not in the optimum squares. jan
I think I would first play Rg7+, in order to secure the king and inhibit the knight’s ability to stop the mate. Then king goes g5-f6-f7 and as far as I can see, if the Knight tries something it will merely be lost. I fear with Kg5 on first move, black might be able to play time with Ng6 with f8 also then open for the black king.
Tommy K. says:
1.Rg7+ Kh8
this puts the king in the
corner then White’s King
heads to f7 via g5 & f6
Black doesn’t have enough
time to Queen either the
a or b pawns as white will
deliver mate first; i.e.:
2.Kg5 b3
3.Kf6 b2
4.Kf7 b1=Q
5.Rg8#
or
2.Kg5 Nc2
3.Kf6 a2
4.Kf7 a1=Q
5.Rg8#
the a1 Knight is too far
away to cause any disruption
to white’s plan, as well the
e & f pawns are also too far
from promotion to cause any
worry. So the f8 knight is
black’s only chance to save
this game and I don’t see it
happening.
2.Kg5 Nd7(preventing Kf6)
3.Rxd7 Kg8
4.Kf6 any
5.Rd8#
the only other square for the
Knight is g6
2.Kg5 Ng6
3.Kf6 Nf4 or h4
4.Kf7 any
5.Rg8#
3.Kf6 Ne7
4.Rxe7 any
5.Re8#
3.Kf6 Ne5
4.Kxe5 any
5.kf6 any
6.Kf7 any
7.Rg8#
checking with the Rook first
reduced many of black’s options.
If Kg5 first then Ng6 attacking
the Rook and giving the King a
flight square at g8.
Kg5 is the right idea but wrong execution. Half a second more of thinking will make you find Rg7+
I don’t see white winning…
1.Kg5 Ng6
now f8 square is free, black can escape mate via f8 – but will lose the h7 pawn – but black should be able to sac his knight for the white pawn…
so, I think best for white is:
1.Rg7+ Kh8
2.Ke5 b3
3.Kf6 Ng6
4.Kf7 (threat is Rg8#)
4….Ne5+
5.Kf8 Ng6+
and black has to give perpetual – otherwise its a mate – so, its a draw…
Hi Susan Polgar,
At the out set – I am really thankful for embedding free play chess engine.
Now,as usual brainy minds of this blog had stolen the best moves,so I have nothing to post – Just kidding.
Kudos to all.
By
Venky[Chennai – India]